Published: 5/17/2012
By: Paul Aidala
With the advances in technology today you can pretty much do everything with the touch of a button, tap of the finger or swipe of the hand. I love a good app, so I have magic little icons to help me with everything from crunching numbers on a spreadsheet to writing letters, shopping, video conferencing, traveling and even dining (I actually do eat, but you get the picture!).
But, despite my affections for the latest technologies, I’d be lying if I didn’t say something was missing. It took me a while, and several great HR conferences, to figure out what has been bothering me. I miss people. I miss real, face-to-face human interaction.
With all of our advances, many people don’t see the necessity or benefits to having personal meetings anymore. It’s hard to argue with the fact that Facetime, Skype and the like can save time and travel expenses by replacing the traditional face-to-face meeting with a video conference. Surely, when you need to have a short meeting with people located throughout the country (or world, for that matter) online chatting may be the most economical way to get everyone together for a short amount of time. And, video conferencing is far better than your run of the mill conference call. But, when we take all of our meetings digital, are we really progressing? Or are we actually setting ourselves back by impeding our ability to relate to one another in person?
When you host a meeting online, you do lose something. A face-to-face meeting can’t hide body language, eye contact and the tone in a person’s voice. When people meet face-to-face, they tend to be more honest. It allows for better communication, which I think provides more clarity and direction.
Yes, after several awesome meetings lately I’ve come to the conclusion that, in my line of work there is just no app for that. Even the best video conferencing cannot replace the in-person meeting. In today’s world, when everyone is so busy, the fact that someone actually takes the time to travel to you should tell you something about his or her intentions. It should tell you that they really care.
I’m not advocating that we forgo all of our digital communications, but I am resolving to step away from the keyboard more frequently. I will not allow my love of Skype to blind me from what I love about this business – the people, the meetings, the conferences and the sense of community.
(/rant over)
What are your thoughts? Do you think we can replace face-to-face meetings with video conferencing?
